Uncoupling mechanism



Dec. 1, 1964 F. P. ADLER ETAL 3,159,285

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS FRANYUJN F? ADLER ARTHUR M. BOONE. ROBERT M. HOLLOWAY ZJ f W T 115 1; H-FE' 1964 F. P. ADLER ETAL 3,159,285

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANKUN F! ADLER ARTHUR M. BOONE BY ROBERT M. HOLLOWAY @MWW United States Patent 3,159,285 UNCQWLEING MECHANESM Franklin P. Adler, Arthur M. Boone, and Robert M. Holloway, lyiiehigan City, ind, assignors to kulhnan Incorporated, Qhieago, iii, a corporation of Belaware Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 237ml 4- Claims. (Cl. 213-168) The present invention relates to uncoupling mechanisms for use in railway cars and more particularly to a new and improved uncoupling mechanism for railway cars of the cushion underframe type.

Cushion underframe railway cars typically include a sliding sill supported on the car body for lengthwise movement thereof and pivotally supporting the couplers on the ends projecting beyond the car. A cushion device is int rposed between the car body and the sliding sill such that, upon impact in but? or draft at either coupler causing telescoping inward and outward movement of the sill relative to the respective car ends (known as sill travel), the cushion device retracts or closes. Such retraction during the full length of travel of the cushioning device provides a cushioning action against coupler impacts that is intended to provide some protection for the lading carried by the car. When the force or" impact has been fully dissipated and transferred, the cushion device and the sliding sill ret in to a normal or neutral position.

For many years conventional approaches to solving the lading damage problem called for the use of cushion travels in cushion underframe cars (and thus sill travels) of up to about 10 inches, and more recently sill travels in the range of from about 20 to about 40 inches have been introduced as a complete answer to the lading damage problem pursuant to William H. Peterson Patent 3,003,436 (and assigned to the assignee of the instant application) Since the couplers of cushion underframe cars are attached to the sliding sill, the couplers necessarily move relative to the respective ends of the car. This poses a problem with respect to retaining operative engagement of the uncoupling mechanism With the lengthwise movable coupler. In accordance with accepted practice the cou ling mechanism associated with each of the couplers generall Y includes an actuating handle or lever along the car side and adjacent the end Wall and an unlocking member engaged with the coupler. Thus it is readily apparent that with an actuating means so'located it is essential in cushion underframes that provision be made for retaining the unlocking member in operative en agement with the coupler during the relative lengthwise movement of the sill and car body so that the uncoupling device is at all times available to uncouple or unlock the coupler if desired.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved uncoupling device for use with cushion underframe railway cars wherein the uncoupling device is formed of a simple construction having a minimum number of parts and arranged so as to retain operative association with the coupler over the full range of its.

lengthwise movement so as to be operative at all times to eificiently unlock the coupler.

It is another object taken in conjunction with the foregoing object to provide an uncoupling device which is constructed and arranged. to also accommodate the angular movement of the coupler relative to the end sill While retaining operative association with the coupler.

Further objects and features will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

MG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an end of a cushion railway car embodying the uncoupling device of the present invention;

FIG. 2-is a fragmentary side elevational view of FIG. 1;

HS. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational View of FIG. 1 but omitting the coupler; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown an end portion of an underframe 10 of a cushion undertrame railway car including a stationary sill 11 of substantially box like structure, a sliding sill 12 slidably mounted within the hollow of said stationary sill for lengthwise movement thereof, and a cusmon device 13 (FIG. 3) disposed between the sliding sill l2 and the stationary sill ii for absorbing or cushioning the shock of impact applied on the couplers fixed to each end of the sliding sill. The cushioning unit or device 13 coacts with stops l4 and 14a, schematically illustrated in FIG. 3, which are arranged so that upon impact to the coupler 16 in bull or draft the movement of the sill 12 causes the cushion device 13 to retract for its full length of travel in either direction. The coupler impacts are cushioned during this retracting movement, and after closure of the device 13 it is operative to return the sliding sill to its normal or neutral position shown in full lines in FIG. 1.

As shown the sliding sill 1?; is formed from a channel of substantially inverted U-section and the ends thereof project outboard of the respective end sills 17. The lengths of the sliding sill l2 and the stationary sill ll. are proportioned to accommodate the length of travel of the cushioning device which may be depending on the cushioning arrangement employed in underframe 19 from about 10 to 40 inches, as previously indicated.

Mounted in the projecting end of the sliding sill is the coupler 16 having a shank portion 18 which is suitably pivotally connected to the sliding sill 12 in a more or less conventional manner by way of a pivot shaft 1%. The coupler i5 is thus pivotal in a horizontal plane for limited angular movement as determined by the extent of the width of the bell mouth it of the coupler housing portion of the sliding sill. The coupler shank 18 in each of its limited angular positions is engageable with strike plates 22 fixed to the face of the bell mouth 21.

The coupler 16 is of standard conventional construction including a knuckle 23 mounted for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane between a locked position shown, to an unlocked position, a knuckle thrower 24 for actuating the knuckle 23 and a locking mechanism, not shown. The coupler 16 includes all the elements of the conventional coupler which operate in the well-known manner.

In accordance with the present invention the uncoupling device 26 includes essentially a manual uncoupling actuating means 27 mounted on the stationary car body or underframe 1d and being accessible along the sides adjacent theend sill l7 and an uncoupling or unlocking rod 28 connected at one end to the coupler is and associated with the manual actuating means at its other end to permit relative movement therebetween for the full length of travel of the sliding sill in either direction and the angular movement of the coupler while retaining the other end of uncoupling rod 28 connected to the coupler head 16.

As shown, the manual uncoupling actuating means includes a rod which is formed to provide a closed loop 29 having a substantially horizontal upper rung 31 and spaced therefrom a substantially horizontal lower rung 32 joined at their inboard ends by a substantially vertical portion 33. The vertical outboard end of the rod connected to the upper rung is bent downward to provide an elongated handle 34 which extends below the free end of the lower rung. The free end of lower rung 32 is positioned in close proximity to the handle 34 so as to form the closed loop 29 and if desired may be fixed to the handle as by welding. The uncoupling rod actuating means 27 is mounted adjacent the end sill by journal assemblies 36 and 37 arranged so as to turnably support the same. As shown, the journal assembly 36 includes a bracket 38 having a horizontal flange 39 fixed to the end sill 17 at the corner thereof and a downwardly depending substantially vertical flange 41 to which there is fastened a substantially U-shaped saddle 42 supporting the upper rung 31 adjacent the handle 34. The journal assembly 37 is spaced inboard of the journal assembly 36 and includes a support bracket 43 having a vertical flange 44 and a reinforcing flange 4-5 depending below the end sill 17 at one end thereof and fixed as by welding at the other end to the end sill 17. Fixed to a flange 46 provided on the downwardly depending vertical flange d? is another saddle 42 turnably supporting the upper rung 31 adjacent the inboard vertical arm 33 in the bight portion thereof. Extending through the legs of each of the U-shaped saddles is a bolt or the like loosely retaining the actuating member 27 within the saddle. Fixed to the upper rung 31, as shown in FIG. 4, is a stop plate s7 which cooperates with the horizontal flange 45 of the bracket 4-3 to prevent clockwise turning of the closed looped portion 29 beyond the substantially vertical position shown, while ,at the same time permitting counter-clockwise turning to actuate the unlocking rod 28, as more fully to be explained hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 1 the brackets 38 and 431 and saddles 42 fixed thereto are arranged so that the closed loop'29 of the manual actuating means 27 forms an acute angle with the end sill 1'7 and thereby permits the unlocking rod 28 connected thereto to remain in operative engagement with the coupler in its various positions.

' The unlocking rod 28 includes a hooked end 48 at one end thereof adapted to engage the knuckle thrower 24 so that upon turning of the hook 425 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, the thrower 24 is moved to its operative coupler unlocking position in the conventional manner. The hook 48 normally lies in a substantially vertical plane in the locked position thereof and the section 49 of the rod 28 contiguous thereto and underlying the coupler 16 is bent to lie in a substantially horizontal plane. The horizontal coupler underlying section 49 is formed with olfset portions 51 and 52 so as to provide the clearance necessary to maintain the operative engagement of the unlocking rod 28 with the coupler 1e and the uncoupling actuating means 27 as more fully to be explained hereinafter. Inclined upwardly and inwardly from the. offset portion 52 is the intermediate section 53 or" the rod 28 at the upper end of which the rod is bent horizontally a substantially right angle to form a section 54 underlying and extending rearwardly or inwardly of the upper'rung 31. Extending upwardly from the inner end of the rung Q underlying section 54 is aninboard inclined inverted U- section 5% and the bight 58 and legs 56 and 5'7 coact to loosely retain the unlocking rod 28 on the upper rung for free sliding and pivotal movement thereon.

in operation, assuming that the sliding sill 12 and accordingly the coupler 16 attached thereto is in the neutral position shown in full lines of FIG. 1, to unlock the coupler 16, the handle 34 is turned counterclockwise causing the lower rung 32 of the closed loop 29 to engage with the leg 57 to turn and pivot th unlocking rod 28 about the upper rung 31. Such turning of the rod 23 causes the hooked end 48 thereof to throw the coupler actuator 24 to its unlocked position to unlock the knuckle 23 in the usual manner. Should the coupler 16 be pivoted or angularly turned about the stud 19 into the limit positions designated at a or b, it is evident, of course, that the enclosed inverted U-loop 50 of the unlocking rod 28 is free to slide along the upper rung so that uncoupling actuating means 2'7 remains in operative association therewith,while the hooked end 48 remains in engagement to be ready to unlock the coupler 16 as above described.

Similarly, should the sliding sill 12 be retracted upon impact, as "shown by the phantom position generally designated as R and the coupler angularly moved to its right limit position designated e, the hooked end 48 of the unlocking rod 28 remains in operative engagement with the coupler 16 and the inverted U-loop Stl slides along the upper rung 31 to a limit outboard position adjacent the handle 34. It is to be noted that in this limit position the intermediate rod section 53 is substantially parallel to the closed loop 29, such location being permitted by the oifset portions 51 and 52 adjacent the hook end 48. It is obvious, of course, that when the coupler swings so that the hooked end 48 engaged therewith is in the positions designated 0 and d that the looped end moves inboard along the upper rung.

In the other extreme angular limit position the coupler as viewed in FIG. 1 is swung to the left when the sliding sill 12 is extended relative to the end sill 17. In this position generally designated E,.the inverted U-loop 50 is positioned at the far inboard end of the upper rung 31, angular movement of the coupler to position the hooked end 48 to the positions g and h resulting in outboard sliding of the inverted U-loop 50 along thev upper rung 31.

t is noted that as the inverted U-loop 50 moves along the upper rung 31 that the front leg 57 in engagement with the lower rung 32 remains substantially perpendicular, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 3. Thus, the lower end remains in engagement therewith and is operative to turn the unlocking rod to its released position with equal force in the various positions of the coupler.

What is claimed is: 1. In a railway car of the cushion underframe type in which a coupler is mounted on a sliding sill movable lengthwise of the car between retracted and extended positions relative to the end sill of said car in response to buff and draft forces and wherein said coupler is pivotally mounted on said sliding sill for limited angular loop slidably. embracing said upper rung. with the one T leg thereof contiguous with said intermediate section lying inwardly of said upper rung'and the other leg thereof wardly so as to engage said lower rungon the forward side thereof, and handle meansextending from said closed loop of said actuating means operative upon turning of'saidclo sed loopto lift said closed-loop upwardly U-loop of said locking rod about said upper rung and move said coupler unlocking end to a coupler unlocking position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said verted U-loop is in a plane inclined inwardly of said normal underlying section.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said inverted U-loop and said underlying normal section looseinverted U-loop is connected to said intermediate portion 5 y embrace said upper 11mgby a section of the rod bent substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said intermediate portion and which underlies said upper rung.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said in- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,336 Metzger Aug. 22, 1944 

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR OF THE CUSHION UNDERFRAME TYPE IN WHICH A COUPLER IS MOUNTED ON A SLIDING SILL MOVABLE LENGTHWISE OF THE CAR BETWEEN RETRACTED AND EXTENDED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE END SILL OF SAID CAR IN RESPONSE TO BUFF AND DRAFT FORCES AND WHEREIN SAID COUPLER IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SLIDING SILL FOR LIMITED ANGULAR MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, AN UNCOUPLING DEVICE COMPRISING A MANUAL ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A CLOSED LOOP HAVING AN UPPER HORIZONTAL RUNG AND A LOWER HORIZONTAL RUNG, MEANS TURNABLY SUPPORTING SAID MANUAL ACTUATING MEANS ALONG SAID END SILL SO THAT SAID RUNGS ARE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID END SILL, AN UNLOCKING ROD INCLUDING A COUPLER UNLOCKING END ENGAGING SAID COUPLER AND AN UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY INCLINED INTERMEDIATE SECTION HAVING AT ITS OTHER END AN INVERTED ULOOP SLIDABLY EMBRACING SAID UPPER RUNG WITH THE ONE LEG THEREOF CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION LYING INWARDLY OF SAID UPPER RUNG AND THE OTHER LEG THEREOF LYING FORWARDLY OF SAID UPPER RUNG AND DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY SO AS TO ENGAGE SAID LOWER RUNG ON THE FORWARD SIDE THEREOF, AND HANDLE MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID CLOSED LOOP OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS OPERATIVE UPON TURN ING OF SAID CLOSEDC LFOOP TO LIFT SAID CLOSED LOOP UPWARDLY AND THEREBY LIFT SAID OTHER LEG AND PIVOT SAID INVERTED U-LOOP OF SAID LOCKING ROD ABOUT SAID UPPER RUNG AND MOVE SAID COUPLER UNLOCKING END TO A COUPLER UNLOCKING POSITION. 